Will Internode host the new F2P LOTRO client?

[zetetic]

Just wondering if Internode will host the free to play client for LOTRO?

[Mythor]

If you suggest a file I'd imagine they would. But you might have to find a link to a full client download since the LOTRO site is only giving links to the downloader it seems.

Though I think the downloader grabs a copy of the installation files so it ought to be possible for them to be downloaded and zipped up and added to the mirror.

[Cas Bitton]

Unless this is it, we need an official direct link to the download package in full. Not a download and install client.

http://games.on.net/file/35772/The_Lord ... _Free2Play

[Mekon]

Nope, that's not it.

we need an official direct link to the download package in full. Not a download and install client.

No such thing, unfortunately - Turbine distributes their software via Pando Media Booster (and has done for a few years, was torrent download prior to that, IIRC). It's a similar solution to the way WoW distributes their patches, but based on Cloud technology rather than torrent - saves on their bandwidth costs.

Worth noting that the downloader doesn't install the game, but rather downloads the installer files (and optionally allows you to install once it's all downloaded). These downloaded files can then be zipped up and hosted - that's how the file you linked would have been obtained originally.

The only official links to the downloads are to the CDN downloaders:
http://cdn.content.turbine.com/sites/cl ... rohigh.exe (high-res download)
http://cdn.content.turbine.com/sites/cl ... andard.exe (standard-res download)

As per their forum announcement for head-start:

The Lord of the Rings Online™ Head Start begins September 8th!

The LOTRO Game Servers will be brought down on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at 4:00AM Eastern (-5 GMT) to prepare for the launch of the Head Start of The Lord of the Rings Online™ Volume III: Allies of The King, Book 2: The Ride of the Grey Company.

Head Start Information!

Open to current and former subscribers as well as recent participants in the closed beta, The Lord of the Rings Online™ Head Start begins 09/08/10. Players who join us for this event get exclusive access to play early. The head start allows all participants to fully experience the new game content and features, including the new region of Enedwaith, the new LOTRO store and the Free-to-Play option, before the general public is admitted on 09/10/10. Reserve your character names on the new servers, play the new content first, or simply get a jump on trying out the latest game features. It all begins on September 8th!

NOTE: The head start will happen on the live game servers. Current and former subscribers as well as recent participants in the closed beta may be able to patch up and start playing as early as the 7th, dependent upon server availability. Beta players who did not previously play on the live service will need to download and install the live game client prior to playing, and will log into the live servers using their beta logins, which will be converted to live accounts in time for the beginning of the head start on 09/08/10. The Beta (Bullroarer) game software will not work to access the head start. To download the live game client go here for the standard version and here for the high res version.

http://forums.lotro.com/showthread.php?t=353560

[Mythor]

Official site says the beta won't patch up to Live so that won't work.
You should be able to download one of the older full clients and patch from there to save some of the download though, since leca says no.

[Mekon]

You should be able to download one of the older full clients and patch from there to save some of the download though, since leca says no.

Actually, yeah - I read further on the forums and those downloads I linked above are for the current live client - the F2P client won't be released until the 7th (although the current live client will patch up... although we're bound to be talking a couple of GB worth).

Those are the current game installers, not the head start client update or the new installers that will be there for launch. As soon as we have the new installers in place, we will let everyone know.

http://forums.lotro.com/showthread.php? ... ost4945319

In other words, hold off until Tuesday or Wednesday.

edit: Side-note, you're *always* best off reinstalling rather than patching with LOTRO, due to internal fragmentation of the data files. There is a tool to defragment the files' internal structure, but I've personally found a clean install invariably offers the best performance at the end of the day.

[tranquil]

ah good to see a thread about this, i just read my email for it and came looking if there is a client to download. i'll wait until a more up to date one is hosted i guess, not in a rush.

[zetetic]

I'm downloading it now. Its about 10GB!!!

[Rega]

So this F2P is out of BETA..? Awesome! Something to do next weekend

[Mekon]

Two updates for you!

There will be a full installer available on Tuesday September 7th at some point in the afternoon.

The patch will be ~911MB.

I would strongly encourage anyone who is planning on returning for F2P, to get installed and fully patched up before the 7th so you'll only need to patch up the Volume III, Book 2 updates when they go live.

http://forums.lotro.com/showthread.php?&postid=4937603

[Mythor]

Full installer = <3
I need to get patched up too. Haven't played in about a month but looking forward to the changes.

[zetetic]

There is headstart for lifers and i think for people who did beta starting the 8th. Game opens for all on the 10th.
I'm a lifer so should be interesting to see how lotro goes (havent been on in a while).

[Rega]

I've never played in my life... . Can you tell me what I should expect from LOTRO? Good game?

[Mythor]

I've never played in my life... . Can you tell me what I should expect from LOTRO? Good game?

Might be easier if you give us an idea of MMOs you're familiar with? Rather than getting someone to explain the entire game.

It's based on Lord of the Rings, obviously. More the books than the movies.

If you're familiar with WoW or similar MMOs, LOTRO's gameplay shouldn't be a mystery to you. Run to people with gold rings above their heads, get the quest, go kill things/collect things/talk to people, come back and get your reward. Even non-MMO rpg's have been heading this way.

Combat is also much the same as other MMOs - you have an auto attack, you have special abilities you can trigger to beat on things or make things angry or heal your friends.
Some classes have additional mechanics, like the Warden has a combo system where you can perform special attacks in a certain combination and then release a special attack - you might attack twice with the stabby-Spear special which activates a double stab ability to do even more damage. Or you might hit your opponent with your shield twice in a row, enabling a defensive buff move.
Champions generate Fervour as they attack and some of their special abilities require certain amounts of Fervour to execute, as another example.

Questing, as I said, is fairly standard for an MMO. However LOTRO seems to have many more "chain" quests, where you pick up and complete an initial quest for an NPC and that then opens up further quests related to the first. In particular you have Epic questlines which can be made up of many quests along the way. At the moment I'm occasionally reporting back to Strider at the Prancing Pony as we follow leads on the Black Riders who've been terrorising Bree and Buckland.

As you get further into the game obviously more areas open up, like dungeon areas, where you'll want some friendly players around you. I've not gotten anywhere near that far but I understand you get to fight a balrog, for example. Not sure that's something you want to try on your own.

The PvP side of things (if that floats your boat) is actually the "Good" people (regular characters) versus the "Evil" people (monsters, orcs and so on) who're also played by other players. Your "Evil"/Monster-play character doesn't level up in the traditional sense, you don't go run quests for Sauron/Saruman, they're solely for the PvP game.

There's lots more but I'll leave it to someone more experienced with the game. Plus it's way past tl;dr territory.

[zetetic]

It's quite story driven compared to other MMORPGs out there.
At first it was fairly group reliant, but they've made changes recently to make it easier to solo the epic story quests (that required groups). I haven't tried that out myself, but from what I hear it helps new players quickly catch up with the rest of the player population.


I'm on the server Elendilmir (check my sig for char names).